Last year’s Mountain West champion is no longer a Cinderella story, let alone a lock to qualify for a bowl game.
As expected, San Jose State lost to No. 22 San Diego State on Friday with backup quarterback Nick Nash at the helm again.
The Spartans (3-4, 1-2 Mountain West) haven’t produced back-to-back winning seasons since a four-year stretch from 1989 to 1992 – a span of nearly three decades.
Next up is a trip to Sin City for what seems like a must-win matchup at winless UNLV (0-6, 0-2) on Thursday night. It’s not clear if starting quarterback and captain Nick Starkel will return from an injury to his left arm for that game, or at all this season.
But there’s a sense of optimism after pushing San Diego State to the brink in a 19-13 double-overtime slugfest during which neither team found the end zone in regulation – the only such instance between FBS teams this season.
San Jose State missed a 52-yard field goal in the final minute that could’ve sealed the upset bid.
All of this sets up a scenario in which the Spartans need three wins over the last five games to participate in the postseason. The remaining opponents on the Spartans’ schedule after the Rebels have combined for an 18-7 record.
“To be honest with you, I feel like our back’s against the wall every single week,” San Jose State coach Brent Brennan said. “The stuff we talk about in the locker room, that’s between the team and our staff. But guys were not happy in there and it was not a joyous occasion. But like with all of our conversations with our team and our coaching staff, we have to look at what we did well and what we didn’t do well.
“It’s really that simple and guys were excited to come to work on Sunday – and I was encouraged by that.”
Here’s a look at what the Spartans must accomplish to get back to .500 during a short week with only six days of preparation:
Get off to a fast start
In its four losses, San Jose State has not managed to find the end zone in the first quarter.
The only points over the opening 15 minutes of each game consist of a field goal on the first possession at Western Michigan. The 3-0 lead was short-lived, as the Spartans trailed 13-3 entering the second quarter in the 23-3 loss.
Zero points at USC in the first half. A touchdown with barely two minutes left until intermission at Colorado State. A field goal midway through the second quarter against San Diego State.
Needless to say, the Spartans trailed during each contest heading into the locker room at halftime.
In its three wins, though, San Jose State has outscored opponents by a combined score of 28-7 in the first quarter — with a first-half mark of 76-35.
San Jose State needs to score touchdowns early and often to dampen the hopes of the Rebels and their homecoming crowd.
Improvise when necessary
Presuming quarterback Nick Starkel misses another game due to an undisclosed injury, backup Nick Nash will make his fourth consecutive start.
The dual-threat QB completed fewer than half his passes against a stingy San Diego State defense, with his favorite target being tight end Derrick Deese Jr. – 6 catches for 113 yards on 14 targets.
A lot of their connections came on scramble drills, as Nash broke out of the pocket to extend plays and sometimes threw the ball up for grabs.
“To be honest with you, that’s a really fine line with Nick,” Brennan said, “because some of the magic to him is his ability to create and his ability to throw on the run. So you’re trying to make sure, you’re trying to get him to a place where when he does make those decisions, that he puts the ball in a good spot. I think the receivers are starting to make plays and understanding that playing with him is a lot different than playing with Starkel.
“I’m excited about Nick and his progress. I think he took a real step forward Friday night against an extremely good defense. I guess I’m encouraged by that.”
Rely on the captains
On defense, linebacker Kyle Harmon leads the team in tackles, defensive end Cade Hall is disruptive in the trenches and safety Jay Lenard makes his presence felt across the field.
On offense, Starkel is sidelined and that leaves left tackle Jack Snyder as the only captain on the unit.
The 6-foot-5, 315-pound grad student out of Marin Catholic is about to break a San Jose State record for most career starts. It’s a mark that’s stood since 1989, when safety Ryan Rasnick capped his Spartan career with 47 starts.
Records are meant to be broken, and Snyder is poised to cement his legacy on Thursday – with a chance to extend the number to at least 52 by season’s end.
“Jack is one of the best kids I’ve ever been around,” Brennan said. “Incredibly hard worker, he’s obviously a good player, he’s really, really smart. He wants to be general manager of a pro sports franchise maybe someday. He’s getting his MBA right now. He’s awesome.
“Sometimes you get older guys where they’ve been playing for a long time and they start protecting their body or looking for a way out. Jack’s just really smart about how he trains, how he takes care of his body. He practices his tail off every week, so he’s great a leader for our offensive line, he’s a great leader for our football team and he’s really one of the best kids I’ve been around.”
Of note, the last time San Jose State played at UNLV on Nov. 13, 2018, Snyder was credited with a 4-yard TD run after catching a pass ruled as a lateral. It had been 26 seasons since an offensive lineman for the Spartans had scored a touchdown.
